Blaby

Blaby /ˈbleɪbɪ/ is a village in central Leicestershire, England, some five miles south of Leicester city centre. It has population of around 6,240 (2001 figures), and its proximity to the city causes it to form part of the Leicester Urban Area.

Its name probably came Old Norse Blábýr = "farmstead or village belonging to a man named Blár" (where the -r is a case ending). There seems to have been a dense patch of Viking settlement in Leicestershire, although some records in the Blaby Library indicate the origin of the village's name was from the first vicar. Twinned with the village of Villers-sous-Saint-Leu in France.

Buildings

While there are few buildings of outstanding historical or architectural interest, old Blaby is a conservation area. It contains some ancient and picturesque dwellings and has a charming 'olde worlde' feel. Old Blaby also contains The Baker's Arms, a thatched public house that dates back to 1485. The other public houses to be found in Blaby are The Fox & Tiger, The Bulls Head, The Black Horse and The Tom Thumb. The Egyptian Queen has now been demolished. One of the two old schools in Blaby is Park (Parkwood) House; the other is in the surrounding area near the parish church.

Blaby (UK Parliament constituency)

Blaby was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1974 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It was a safe seat for the Conservative Party, being held by Conservative MPs throughout its existence.

History

Blaby constituency was created in 1974 from parts of the Harborough seat. It is named for the village of Blaby in south west Leicestershire. A safe Conservative seat consisting mostly of middle-class commuter towns and villages for the neighbouring city of Leicester, it was held for many years by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson. Lawson was succeeded in 1992 by Andrew Robathan, who held the seat until its abolition.

Following its review of parliamentary representation in Leicestershire, the Boundary Commission for England renamed the Blaby constituency as South Leicestershire, with minor alterations to its boundaries, in time for the 2010 election.

Blaby District

Blaby is a local government district in Leicestershire, England.

The district is named after the village of Blaby. It covers the civil parish of Blaby and 23 others. Among these are Cosby, Countesthorpe, Enderby, Huncote, Narborough (the location of the main district council offices), Sapcote, Stoney Stanton, and Wigston Parva. Much of the district is part of the Leicester urban area: this applies especially to the parishes of Braunstone Town (including the commuter housing development of Thorpe Astley); Glenfield (the location of the headquarters of Leicestershire County Council); Kirby Muxloe; Leicester Forest East; and Glen Parva. There are plans to extend this urban area significantly through a large scale housing development, in the rural parish of Lubbesthorpe, and expansion of the industrial area in the neighbouring parish of Enderby.

Blaby was represented in Parliament by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, between 1974 and 1992.

History

The district traces its origins to the Blaby Poor Law Union, which was founded in 1834. It became a rural district of Leicestershire in 1894. Oadby was removed in 1913 to form an urban district. 1935 saw parts being transferred to Leicester, whilst it took in part of the abolished Hinckley Rural District. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the area was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district.